Latest
Southwest Washington latest labor market data released
The Clark County/Portland Metro area, including
the
CowlitzCounty
labor market, worsened considerably in October according to Scott Bailey, regional
economist for Washington State Employment Security. Bailey issued his
Southwest Washinton/Portland Labor Market News report today.
Bailey reports that seasonally-adjusted nonfarm employment fell by 8,600
jobs, though 1,200 of that figure was due to the Boeing strike.
Every county in the region is now showing a loss of jobs over the year,
said Bailey, except for Clark,
“where revised data put job growth at only 500 jobs (0.4 %).
Health care employment is the bright spot, said Bailey, and “continues to
expand across the region. Professional services also showed a gain over
the year, for the region as a whole “and for ClarkCounty as
well.”
On the negative side, construction is off 6% across the region.
Manufacturing declined by 2,200 jobs over the month, including 400 in ClarkCounty. Trade
& transportation dropped by 1,500 jobs across the region. Information
services remained essentially flat over the month and year, region-wide.
These images were provided courtesy ofImmersive Media of
Portland, Oregon which shot the video under a specialuse
permit this past spring.Three video clips are
posted on the Mount St. Helens Teacher's Corner ofthe
Forest
web site (www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/).
The
videos allow onlinevisitors to take a 360-degree virtual
flight around the Mount St. Helens
blast zone, over the rim and into the crater of the volcano.
"We are excited to bring this type of virtual presentation to
ourvisitors," said Monument Manager Tom Mulder,
"this is just one more way inwhich we continue to use new
technology to help connect people with theirpublic lands.
News brief
Allstate Insurance in owned by Washougal resident
Kirk Bruce, will be the
second to be recognized as the Camas-Washougal Chamber’s Business of the
Week for the week of December 15. Bruce is a former Washougal city
councilman.
Unemployment taxes to decrease for many
employers
For the first time
ever, more than half of all
Washington
employers will be in the lowest unemployment-insurance tax bracket in
2009, with tax savings totaling some $45 million.
“There hasn’t been a
lot of good news for businesses lately, so it feels good to spread a
little holiday cheer,” said Employment Security Commissioner Karen Lee.
Employment security
is currently mailing 2009 tax-rate notices to more than 150,000
businesses. About 25 percent of employers will see rate decreases, with
just 18 percent seeing rate increases.
For 2009, 51 percent
of employers will be in the lowest tax-rate class (rate class 1), which
is 0.35 percent of payroll costs. Only 3 percent of employers will
pay the highest tax rate (rate class 40), totaling 6 percent. The
average tax rate will drop to 1.55 percent, from 1.7 percent in 2008.
The taxable wage
base, which is the amount of wages on which an employer pays
taxes for each employee, is $35,700 for 2009.
Lee said that 2009
tax rates are improving for many employers because unemployment rates
have been relatively low over the past four years.
Calendar
12/13--St. Joseph Catholic Church
presents a live Biblical
Christmas Story as part of its day-long Advent Festival Saturday,
Dec. 13, beginning with Mass at 9 a.m. in the church at 400 Highland
Drive. An exhibit of Madonnas will be shown in the church from 10
a.m. to 6 p.m. The Choir International performs from 1 to 3 p.m. At
3:30 p.m. there will be a presentation of the Rosary. Following a 5
p.m. mass, participants are invited to go caroling with
parishioners.
12/16—Rescheduled
Meeting: The Vancouver Library Capital
Facility Area Board will meet on
Tuesday, December 16, 2008 at 9:30 a.m.
(meeting was previously scheduled for December 9) in the Clark County
Commissioners Hearing Room, 6th Floor, Public Service Center, 1300
Franklin Street, Vancouver, Washington, for review and approval of the
final design for the new main library.
12/16--The Clark Public
Utilities Board of Commissioners WILL NOT MEET for it's
regularly scheduled December 16 meeting. The meeting is cancelled.
Additional Community Calendar
Links
The Southwest
Washington Center for the Arts has
published its December newsletter and calendar of events.
Click here for
the PDF file.
Greater Vancouver Chamber Community Calendar: Click
here
City of Vancouver
Calendar of Community Events:
Click here
Today's Headlines
Links to News of local & national significance
The Daily Insider is
published by Tony Bacon P.O. Box 2597, Vancouver, WA 98668. (360)
696-1077.
Fax 694-9886. E-Mail
tony@dailyinsider.info. Annual subscription, $335.00. Free to all
retired persons.
